The Department of Business Administration, with cooperation from the university's Career Development Office, has an active internship program. Internships are work experiences for which students receive academic credit. Out of the minimum 120 credits needed for a B.S. degree, interested students are allowed up to 24 credits of internship. In fact, having an internship experience is a graduation requirement for students majoring in business administration or accounting.
The department offers both paid and unpaid internships with various local and regional firms and organizations during regular semesters, summer sessions, and j-terms. Also, students are allowed to receive internship credit through their own part-time jobs, as long as such employment requires the use of business administration skills. To set up an internship, please contact:
Dr. Lisa Walters
Internship Coordinator
Business Administration
W350 Thompson Hall
Fredonia, NY 14063
Telephone: 716-673-3504
E-mail: lisa.walters@fredonia.edu
Business, Accounting, and Economics Internships
ECON 480 | BUAD 480 | ACCT 480
Internships are an integral academic component of the Business Administration, Accounting, and Economics programs. These internships provide students with the opportunity to apply disciplinary knowledge, analytical skills, and professional competencies in real-world organizational settings while earning academic credit.
Internships are treated as academic courses, not simply work experiences. Students are evaluated on professional performance, documented learning, and evidence of outcomes aligned with the School of Business learning objectives.
All internships are coordinated jointly by the Career Development Office (CDO) and a Faculty Sponsor within the School of Business.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to enroll in an internship course (ECON 480, BUAD 480, or ACCT 480), students must:
- Have completed a minimum of 30 earned college credits
- Be in good academic standing
- Secure an approved internship that meets academic and experiential learning standards
- Complete and receive approval for an Internship Learning Contract
Students may not register for an internship course until all eligibility requirements and approvals are met.
Finding and Securing an Internship
Students are responsible for securing their own internship, with support from the Career Development Office.
Ways to Find an Internship:
- Schedule an appointment with the Career Development Office (CDO)
- Search internships through Handshake (using Fredonia single sign-on via the CDO webpage)
- Identify an organization independently
If a student identifies an organization that is not already approved:
- The host organization must contact the Career Development Office to establish internship requirements before approval can be granted
Students should not assume that an internship is approved until confirmation is received from the Career Development Office.
Academic Credit and Grading
Internships are credit-bearing academic courses.
- Credit is awarded based on verified internship hours
(40 internship hours = 1 academic credit) - Internship courses are graded on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis
- A satisfactory grade requires completion of all academic, professional, and documentation requirements
Hours alone do not guarantee a satisfactory grade.
Academic Expectations
Students enrolled in ECON 480, BUAD 480, or ACCT 480 must complete structured academic components in addition to internship hours to meet university experiential learning standards.
Academic expectations include:
- Completion of an approved Internship Learning Contract
- Clearly defined job requirements and educational objectives
- Midterm and final evaluations
- Submission of a final evidence-based compilation
- Professional conduct throughout the internship experience
Internship Learning Contract
All students must complete an Internship Learning Contract before or during the first week of the internship. The contract must be submitted electronically and approved by:
- The Student
- The Site Supervisor
- The Faculty Sponsor
- The Career Development Office Internship Coordinator
The Learning Contract must include:
- Organization name and address
- Site supervisor contact information
- Internship start and end dates
- Weekly hours and total expected hours
- Compensation information (if applicable)
- Clearly written job requirements
- Educational objectives
- Methods of evaluation
Students may not register for ECON 480, BUAD 480, or ACCT 480 without a fully approved Learning Contract.
Writing Job Requirements and Linking to Learning Objectives: THIS MUST BE DONE CORRECTLY OR THE CONTRACT WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU
Job requirements form the basis of internship evaluation and must be written carefully.
Job Requirements MUST:
- Clearly describe what the student will do
- Be written in specific, measurable terms
- Be explicitly linked to one or more School of Business learning objectives
- Identify what evidence will verify completion
School of Business Learning Objectives include:
- Business Knowledge
- Communication (oral and/or written)
- Data Analysis
- Professional Engagement
- Community Engagement
Example Job Requirement:
Assist staff in improving the scheduling process (Business Knowledge, Data Analysis);
Evidence: revised schedule and written summary of improvements.
Educational Objectives
Educational objectives describe what the student intends to learn from the internship.
Objectives should:
- Align directly with the stated job requirements
- Reflect application of theory, methods, or professional skills
- Be written clearly and realistically
Example Educational Objective
Develop business knowledge and analytical skills by analyzing the current scheduling system and proposing one process improvement.
💡 Tip: Students may use AI tools to help draft job requirements and objectives; however, students are responsible for accuracy, alignment, and academic integrity.
Course Registration
Once the Internship Learning Contract is fully approved:
- The Faculty Sponsor initiates the registration process
- The student registers for:
- ECON 480
- BUAD 480
- ACCT 480
Registration is not permitted prior to contract approval.
Important Internship Dates
Please note: The dates below supersede any previously published dates.
- Midterm Evaluations Due: March 6
- All Final Internship Deliverables Due: May 15
Midterm and final evaluations are distributed electronically by the Career Development Office to both students and site supervisors.
End-of-Internship Requirements
By the end of the semester, students must submit all required materials through the university’s learning management system, including:
- A verified log of internship hours
- Completed student and site supervisor evaluations
- An updated résumé reflecting the internship experience
- A final evidence compilation, including an executive summary and selected artifacts demonstrating learning and impact
Failure to submit required documentation may result in delayed grading or an Unsatisfactory (U) grade.
Professional Conduct
Students are expected to maintain professional behavior throughout the internship, including timely communication, adherence to site expectations, and proactive problem-solving. Any concerns should be communicated promptly to the Faculty Sponsor.
Questions and Support
- Career Development Office: careers@fredonia.edu
- Faculty Sponsor: Assigned within the School of Business